Summer Camp Mates

The First Day Of Camp

Melanie’s POV

(Beep… Beep… Beep…)

“Ughhh… stupid alarm—shut up…” I groaned, blindly reaching for my phone and slamming my hand down until the noise finally stopped.

I lay there for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling… and then it hit me.

Today is the first day of camp.

A rush of excitement shot through me, instantly waking me up more than the alarm ever could. I couldn’t help the small smile creeping onto my face. I had no idea what today would bring—but I knew it was going to be something.

I quickly threw the covers off and headed straight to the bathroom. I hadn’t taken a shower last night, so I turned the water on and stepped in, letting the heat wake me up the rest of the way.

By the time I got out, I had both my body and hair wrapped in towels, water still dripping down my back as I walked to my dresser.

“Okay… first impressions matter… but not too much,” I muttered to myself.

I didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard.

After digging for a minute, I finally settled on a light blue V-neck t-shirt and my favorite light gray ripped shorts. They hit mid-thigh—just right—and hugged my curves perfectly without being too much.

Simple. Cute. Effortless.

Exactly what I was going for.

I glanced at myself in the mirror, tilting my head slightly as I took it all in.

“Okay… not bad,” I said under my breath, a small, satisfied smile forming.

A little makeup, just enough to enhance—not overdo it. Then I curled the ends of my hair, letting it fall naturally around my shoulders.

One last look.

Yeah… I looked good.

Finally satisfied, I grabbed my phone and headed downstairs, slipping out the door without checking if Tara was awake. Knowing her, she was probably already halfway through her day.

Punctual little brat… always on top of everything.

The thought made my jaw tighten slightly as I remembered the way she talked to me the other day. The tone. The attitude.

I pushed it away with a small shake of my head.

Not today.

Today was going to be a good day.

At least… I hoped.

The walk to the mess hall wasn’t long, but my nerves started building with every step. By the time I reached the doors, I checked the time.

10 minutes until 10.

Perfect.

I stepped inside, scanning the room for familiar faces—but before I could get far—

THUD.

“Ow!” I winced, instantly bringing my hand up to rub my forehead.

I had walked straight into something.

…Or rather, someone.

“Umm… hello?” a deep voice said.

I froze for a second before looking up—and wow.

“I’m—s-sorry…” I stuttered.

He was… wow.

Tall—like, really tall. Probably around 6’6. Brown hair, slightly messy in a way that looked intentional, and his eyes…

Gray.

Not just gray—striking.

And he was definitely noticing me noticing.

“What’s your name?” he asked, a small amused grin tugging at his lips.

Great. He caught me staring.

“Damn it, Mel… focus,” I muttered under my breath.

I quickly stuck out my hand for him to shake, which he did, still watching me like he was waiting for something.

“Oh—yeah, sorry! My name is Melanie Scott… what’s yours?”

His smile shifted—slowly turning into something more like a smirk.

“Well, Melanie… it’s actually been a long time since I’ve seen you,” he said smoothly. “But my name is Zander… Zander McKnight.”

The way he said it—like he was introducing himself in some dramatic movie—made a laugh slip out before I could stop it.

But before I could respond—

I was suddenly yanked sideways.

“What the—El!” I gasped as Elaine practically tackled me, dragging me away from him.

“What the heck?!” I whispered as she shoved me forward.

She didn’t answer right away, just pulling me into the breakfast line like her life depended on it.

“Sorry, Mel—I needed to talk to you—”

Before she could finish—

A loud, high-pitched scream cut through the room.

Both of us turned instantly.

“What was—”

I didn’t even get to finish.

Because suddenly—

WHAM.

Someone launched themselves at me.

“Ohhh, Melanie!! It’s been sooo long!!” a squeaky voice practically screeched in my ear as I was wrapped in an aggressive hug.

“I—uh—do I know you?” I asked, slightly panicked.

She pulled back dramatically, placing a hand over her chest like I’d just stabbed her.

“Wow. I’m hurt. You don’t recognize your own cousin?!” she said, fake tears practically sparkling in her eyes.

I blinked.

Then it clicked.

“OH MY GOD—Shana?!”

I immediately hugged her back, laughing. “I can’t believe it—you look so good! It’s been forever!”

“It’s okay, Mel,” she said, squeezing me tight. “It really has… I’ve missed you.”

Then she pulled back, glancing over at Elaine.

“Oh! I’m sorry—who’s this?”

“Oh! Sorry—this is my friend Elaine. And Elaine, this is my cousin on my mom’s side—Shana. She’s a witch.”

“Nice to meet you,” Elaine said, clearly still trying to recover and also get her breakfast at the same time.

Shana smiled brightly, then clapped her hands together.

“Well, girls, I’d love to stay and catch up, but I’ve got to go get ready. I’ll see you both later!”

“Bye!” we both said at the same time.

And just like that—she was gone.

I stood there for a moment, trying to process everything that had just happened.

First Zander.

Then Elaine acting… off.

And then Shana practically tackling me out of nowhere.

I let out a slow breath, shaking my head slightly.

“…Yeah,” I muttered under my breath. “This day is already off to a wild start.”

And somehow…

I had a feeling it was only going to get worse.

⸻

By the time we grabbed our breakfast and sat down on the long wooden bench seats, I tried to focus on eating—tried to act normal.

But I couldn’t.

Something felt… off.

Like a weight pressing against the back of my neck.

Like eyes.

Watching me.

I kept my head down at first, pushing my food around more than actually eating it. My grip on my fork tightened slightly.

You’re just overthinking it, Mel…

But the feeling didn’t go away.

If anything—

It got stronger.

And the worst part?

It started right after I stopped talking to Zander.

My eyes flickered up, scanning the room as casually as I could manage—but my heart was already starting to beat faster.

Was it him?

Or… someone else?

I swallowed hard, my appetite suddenly gone.

Because now I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever—or whoever—was watching me…

Wasn’t just curious.

It felt intentional.

( mean while at the back house.)

Jax’s POV

“Good job, buddy…” Jason said, out of breath after our training.

“Yeah… I needed this,” I replied, just as winded as he was.

“Yeah, you did. It’s not often I put your ass on the ground—but I did it three times. You’ve gotta get back in your groove, buddy.” He said, wiping the sweat off with a towel.

“Alright, time for the showers. It’s 9:20 a.m.—we’ve gotta get moving if we wanna make it to the mess hall in time. I’ll see you there.”

“Okay,” I said, already heading upstairs to grab a shower.

After I got out, I figured I’d put on something decent for the first day of camp. I went through my clothes and settled on a gray T-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. After getting dressed and slipping on my tennis shoes, I stepped back into the bathroom to check my hair. It usually fell naturally after a shower.

“It looks good… time to go.”

Making my way downstairs, I waved to my mom. “Bye!” I called before heading out the door, where I met up with Zander. He fell into step beside me as we walked toward the mess hall.

“So… we ready to get this party started?” he asked, breaking out into a little dance.

“Okay, stop it,” I said, shaking my head. “I know you’re super excited about the bonfire tonight…”

“Alright, I’ll stop dancing—but Jax, listen, okay? I already did a pack run around the territory and the cabins, so guess what…?”

“What?” I asked, not really matching his excitement.

“There are some seriously hot girls this year,” he said with a grin. “So you know what that means… this wolf is gonna have a very good night.”

“Of course you will…” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

By the time we made it to the mess hall, I barely made it through the door before getting stopped by a bunch of people welcoming me back.

“Good to have you home, Jax!”

“This year’s gonna be insane!”

“We’re taking the tournament, no question!”

Everyone was talking over each other, excitement buzzing through the air. I forced a few smiles, nodded along, said what I needed to—but my mind wasn’t really in it.

After the last conversation—with Shana Adams… Mel’s cousin—I finally managed to break away and head toward the breakfast line.

That’s when—

“JAXXXX!!!”

I froze.

“Oh, lord… why now? Why her?” I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration.

Before I could escape, she was already on me.

“OMG, I didn’t know you were back! I’ve missed you, baby!” Sarah squealed, throwing her arms around me.

I visibly cringed.

“Hey, Sarah… yeah, I got in last night. Can you—uh—stop hugging me now?”

“Oh! Sorry, babe, I’ve just missed you!”

“Okay… Sarah…” I started, already feeling my patience slipping.

I was about two seconds away from telling her to back the hell off—when something stopped me cold.

A scent.

Sweet.

Strawberries… and vanilla.

It hit me so suddenly, so intensely, that everything else around me faded out.

I went still.

“What the—” I muttered under my breath, my senses locking onto it.

I slowly lifted my head, scanning the mess hall.

Tables. People. Noise.

But none of it mattered.

Because then—

I saw her.

A girl.

Strawberry blonde hair catching the light just right.

No taller than maybe 5’5.

And for a second… I forgot how to breathe.

She was—there wasn’t even a word for it.

Stunning.

Effortless.

Dangerous in a way I couldn’t explain.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

She wore a light blue V-neck T-shirt and gray thigh-length shorts with a few rips in them. Simple—but somehow it made it worse.

Because she didn’t have to try.

And I didn’t like the sudden, sharp irritation that hit me at the thought of anyone else looking at her.

My jaw tightened slightly.

“Jax? Hellooo?” Sarah waved a hand in front of my face, but her voice sounded distant.

I barely registered her.

Because that scent—

That pull—

It wasn’t normal.

It wasn’t just attraction.

It felt like something deeper.

Something instinctive.

Something I couldn’t ignore.

And as she started walking—

I shook my head, focusing on who she was heading toward.

Oh. Hell. No.

I immediately mind-linked Zander.

Stop talking to her. Right. Now.

“Why, bro? She’s smoking hot!” he shot back, way too amused for my liking.

That was it.

I dropped my voice—letting my alpha tone bleed through the link.

Get away from her. Now.

I heard him yelp slightly through the connection.

“Alright, alright! Dang…” he muttered. “She’s already walking away anyway—and only because your sister pulled her away,” he added, clearly annoyed as he turned off toward the food line.

Good.

After dealing with that, I turned away from Sarah, who was still rambling like nothing had just happened.

I didn’t even bother responding.

I stepped back into line, grabbing a muffin—though I wasn’t even hungry—and leaned against the counter, waiting for Jason to start the announcements.

But I couldn’t focus.

Not even a little.

Because no matter how hard I tried—

My attention kept drifting back to her.

I glanced up, trying to be subtle about it… and there she was.

Sitting at one of the benches.

Talking to my sister.

Laughing.

Completely unaware of the effect she was having on me.

My chest tightened, something restless stirring just beneath the surface.

I needed to know who she was.

Needed her name.

And for some reason

That didn’t feel like a want anymore.

It felt like a necessity.

Melanie’s POV

Getting pulled from my thoughts, the sharp sound of a microphone being tapped echoed through the room as it was tested.

“Hello… hello… testing, one, two, three… okay, it’s working. Good morning, Camp Black Falls! How are we doing this morning?”

Everyone: “Great!!”

“That’s great. As everyone knows, I’m Beta Jason—and also the head counselor of this fine camp. I’ll get right to it before the introductions of our head leaders this year.”

He paused for a second, scanning the crowd.

“To start off, I wanted to tell everyone that we will have several events happening this year. Tonight will be the Beginning Bonfire, which starts our first evening at camp and will help you all make new friends.”

A few excited murmurs spread through the room.

“The next event will be your choice of a movie night or nighttime paintball—those are two of our new events this year.”

That definitely got people talking.

“Then we have our annual beach pool party, which will need volunteers for lifeguard duty.”

More chatter. More excitement.

“We will also be having our Camp Ball, which will take place in the middle of summer. That is when our competition will be arriving for our main event—the Camp Tournament—which the junior and senior campers will be participating in.”

His tone shifted slightly—more serious now.

“Which brings me to the next issue at hand… when they get here, you will be respectful. Anyone who starts an issue will be immediately sent home.”

The room went quieter at that.

“Also, each one of you will have to pick a category to play in for the tournament. They will be posted later.”

He clapped his hands together once.

“So, let me get on with this show and introduce you to your camp leaders.”

My attention sharpened slightly as I leaned forward just a bit.

“First up, we have the head leader of the teen girls—Miss Shana Adams. She will have the senior and junior girls.”

I smiled a little at that.

“Then we have our head leader for the boys—Mr. CJ Lightwood. He is new here, so be kind, gentlemen. He will have the senior and junior boys.”

A few whistles and laughs came from the crowd.

“Up next, we have the younger kids, ages fourteen to twelve—Mrs. Sammy McKnight. She has been with us for five years now. You younger ones will love her.”

Everything still felt normal.

Routine.

Expected.

“Okay… and now for our last leader.”

Something in his voice shifted again—and for some reason, my stomach tightened.

“He will be our skills leader. He’ll be helping everyone get in shape for the tournament…”

A pause.

Just long enough to make my chest feel tight.

“I welcome you… Jaxson Blackwood.”

And just like that—

Everything stopped.

My breath caught.

My heart stuttered hard in my chest.

There was no way.

I sat there in complete shock, my mind going blank as his name echoed over and over again in my head.

Jaxson… Blackwood…

I didn’t know what to think.

Didn’t know what to say.

Didn’t know what to do.

And somehow… through the ringing in my ears—

I could still hear my dad talking.

But I wasn’t listening anymore.

Because suddenly—

This day?

Wasn’t just wild anymore.

It had turned into something else entirely.

Something I wasn’t ready for.

I shook my head slightly, trying to clear it as my father started speaking again.

“I’m going to hand the mic to Miss Shana now. She will instruct you on where you will be sleeping. Have a great day, guys…” (hands microphone off)

“Thank you so much, Beta Jason,” Shana said, her voice bright and confident. “Okay, everyone—we’ve decided that since we have a few more newcomers this year, you will be bunking in groups of three.”

A wave of chatter spread across the room.

“We’ve also decided that if you are responsible enough, you may pick your own camp buddies. However—” she paused, her tone sharpening slightly, “—if we find out that you are not being responsible and are causing problems with your roommates, we will switch you.”

That quieted people down real quick.

“After finding your buddies, come find me or one of the other camp leaders to get your cabin key. Thank you so much, you guys—have a great first day! We’ll start all the big activities in the morning, so enjoy today and take the time to get to know everyone…!” (turns off microphone)

“Okay—so we already know the three of us are going to be cabin buddies,” I said quickly, my voice rushed. “We need a meeting… in the girls’ bathroom. Now.”

The second we stepped out, we made our way down the hallway, my mind racing faster with every step.

As soon as we reached the women’s bathroom and walked inside—

I lost it.

“OKAY—WHY IN THE HELL DID NOBODY TELL ME FREAKING JAXSON WAS BACK?!!”

My voice echoed off the walls as I paced, running my hands through my hair.

“Calm down, Mel…” Elaine said softly. “I’m sorry—I was trying to tell you earlier, but we got cut off by your cousin…” She gave me a guilty look.

“Yeah, Mel, calm down. I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Megan added, rolling her eyes.

I stopped pacing, taking a deep breath.

Then another.

“Okay… okay,” I muttered, forcing myself to calm down. “You know what? You’re right. It’s fine. We’ll figure this out later.”

I exhaled slowly.

“Let’s just go get our cabin key.”

“Oh, Mel—you don’t have to worry about that,” Elaine said.

I frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”

“We talked to your dad,” she continued. “Since me and Megan didn’t have a cabin, and you already did, we’re just staying with you. And I guess your stepsister made some friends, so she’s staying with them.”

I blinked—then smiled.

“Aww… you guys are awesome. I’m sorry I snapped. We’ll talk later, okay? Come on—I’ll help you get your bags.”

We walked out of the bathroom and headed toward the exit of the mess hall.

“So… do we need to go grab your bags?” I asked.

Megan & Elaine: “Nope!”

Before I could even react, they both took off running around the side of the building.

“…What are they—”

A second later, they came driving back around the corner—

On a golf cart.

I stared at them.

“Really? You two?” I crossed my arms, trying not to laugh. “Well… I guess there’s no sense in walking now, is there?”

“Yeah, definitely not,” Megan said. “Elaine packed like she was moving states, so we had no choice but to borrow the camp’s golf cart.” She threw Elaine a look.

“You know what, Megan?” Elaine shot back with a giggle. “If you keep rolling your eyes, they’re eventually going to roll right out of your head.”

Despite everything

The chaos.

Jaxson.

A small laugh escaped me.

But deep down…

That uneasy feeling?

It still hadn’t gone away, I pushed that away

to enjoy my friends.

As I climbed onto the golf cart, we headed toward the cabin. It was a bit of a drive, but we were laughing the entire way there—mostly because Megan was driving like an absolute madwoman.

“Megan, you are going to get us killed!” I yelled, gripping the side.

“I got this!” she shot back. “Ninja driving skills!”

Elaine and I lost it, laughing so hard we could barely breathe.

“Ninja driving? Girl, you almost hit a tree!” Elaine added.

“I said I got it under control!” Megan insisted, swerving slightly—again.

“Uh-huh… sure you do,” I muttered, shaking my head with a grin.

By the time we finally made it to the cabin, we were all still laughing. We hopped off and started unloading the golf cart before heading inside. The girls grabbed their bags and disappeared into their rooms.

While they unpacked, I made my way into the kitchen.

“Hmm… what sounds good…” I muttered, opening the fridge.

I decided on something simple—ham and cheese sandwiches. After making them, I leaned against the counter and called out—

“FOOD’S READY!”

Not even two seconds later, they came rushing in like they hadn’t eaten in days.

“Dang, y’all act like you didn’t eat two hours ago!” I laughed.

“Shhh, we’re starving,” Megan said dramatically, already grabbing a sandwich.

“Okayyy…” I started to say

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I paused.

“Hold that thought, girls,” I said, heading for the door.

I opened it to see Shana.

“Well, what’s up, what’s up, cousin? Did we forget something at the mess hall?” I asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“Nah,” she said with a smile. “I just wanted to check on you girls and remind you about the bonfire tonight. It starts at 8:30 and ends around 11:30. That gives you enough time to get back here before midnight.”

She gave me a look.

“The camp leaders will be making rounds, so I hope you girls aren’t planning on getting into trouble.”

“We wouldn’t dream of it,” I said innocently. “Scout’s honor.” I added with a small giggle.

“Mhm… sure,” she said, clearly not convinced.

She turned to leave, then paused.

“Oh—and you all won’t have to set your alarms for the morning.”

She winked.

Then walked away.

“…Well, that was odd,” I said, closing the door. “What do you think she meant by that?”

“Who knows,” Megan shrugged. “But for now, let’s play a board game and just chill while we wait for tonight. It’s already 3:40—time will go by fast.”

She did a little excited dance.

“Okay, okay,” I laughed.

As the girls started setting up a game, I found myself zoning out for a second.

My thoughts drifting into a day dream.

Jax’s POV

After the introductions were made… I somehow lost that gorgeous girl.

I was supposed to get her name after all the greetings this morning—but she took off too quick. I stood there, mentally kicking myself for not going over to her the second I laid eyes on her…

“i***t…” I muttered under my breath.

Wait—that’s it.

She was talking to Zander.

I bet he got her name.

A sudden burst of excitement hit me.

After forcing myself to calm down—at least a little—I went to find him. As I made my way through camp, I tried to act normal, doing a quick round to make sure everyone was getting settled into their cabins.

I finally spotted Zander—of course—talking to a couple of girls.

I rolled my eyes.

He was already on the prowl, probably trying to figure out who he was taking to the bonfire tonight.

I didn’t even hesitate. I walked straight up to him, not caring if I was interrupting.

“Hey, Zan. Can I talk to you?”

“Uh… sure…” he said, glancing at the girls before stepping away.

“I just need to find out some information about a girl you were talking to earlier this morning.”

“Ohhhhh…” His face lit up instantly. “The strawberry blonde girllll, right?” he said with a wicked smirk.

I clenched my jaw.

“Yes, Zander. That would be the one,” I said, trying to keep my tone even.

“Alright…” he dragged out. “On one condition, my Alpha cousin…” he added, way too excited.

I narrowed my eyes.

“Okay, so—you know how we have that bonfire tonight…?”

“Yeah, so what about it, Zander? Just get to the point, please. It’s already bad enough I get this from my sister—I don’t need it from you.”

Relax,” he laughed. “You just have to be my wingman tonight.”

“That’s it?” I said. “Fine. Done. Now what’s her name?”

He grinned even wider.

“Oh, you are not gonna believe this…”

A pause.

Way too long.

“Zander.”

“Okay, okay! So… that girl?” He leaned in slightly. “That’s Melanie Scott.”

“…What?”

THAT EVENING.

Melanie’s POV

“Alright, ladies—time to get ready!” I said, practically bouncing with excitement. I was so excited, I could barely stand myself.

Roxy: Maybe we’ll find our mate… I felt something with that one guy earlier on stage.

“Um… I don’t know,” I said. “We probably won’t find out until we’re 18. I mean, I’ve heard on rare occasions it can happen early—but most of the time it’s with an Alpha…”

Roxy: I don’t know, Mel… I feel like when you look into his eyes, we’ll know.

“I doubt he’ll even be there tonight. Let’s just get ready and see what happens, okay?”

Roxy: …Okay, fine.

“Alright, what do you think?” I asked, showing Megan my outfit.

I was wearing a burgundy lace tank top, a black jacket, and dark blue jeans ripped at the knees.

“Girl—you are slaying,” Megan said. “I’ll be shocked if you don’t get attention tonight.”

I laughed. “Thanks. You look amazing too. Where’s El?”

“HERE I am, ladies! What do you think?” Elaine said, stepping in.

“Okay, Elaine—you look hot. Seriously, how do you not have a boyfriend?” I asked.

She shrugged. “I guess I’m just waiting for the right person, you know?”

“Yeah… I get that,” I said quietly. “I’ve only had one boyfriend—and he was a mistake. He tried to push me into things I wasn’t ready for. We only lasted two days…”

“Mel—that’s horrible,” Megan said, instantly fired up.

“I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d be on the next flight to Texas.”

“Damn right I would have!”

I smiled a little. “Let’s just go—I don’t want to show up in a bad mood.”

I gave myself one last look in the mirror.

Makeup? Perfect.

Hair? Soft beach waves.

“Alright… time to go—”

“WAIT!” Megan said, stopping me.

I turned to see her holding a pack of drinks.

“Really? Tonight?”

“YES. TONIGHT—I’M HAVING FUN, BITCHES!!” she yelled.

I shook my head, laughing as I followed them out the door.

“Oh yeah…”

** Yep made you think I was going to keep writing didn’t I sorry not sorry I have more to put on this event that’s about to happen so it will be continued on the next chapter thanks for reading and of corse this story will be continued…**